A Taste of Moonlight
by Stranded
Summary: Spoilers up to Orpheus. A mysterious girl arrives with help against conspiring apocalyptic forces.
1. 1 You're Not Cordy

**AU: I wrote this a year ago and decided that I better work on it with a few changes so here it is again. Enjoy!**

**DISCLAIMER: The normal ones... Angel show and all characters not mine... Cordy's "true" character is from Laurell K. Hamilton's book... only own my new character, Cordy's cousin.  
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**_SUMMARY:_** **_This story will take place EXACTLY after the episode where Faith and Willow left... "Orpheus," I believe. At the beginning of this story, Cordy's true self is revealed to the gang in a cruel twist of fate and a newcomer enters the scene in a burst of flames. There is a strange connection between this newcomer and Connor that slowly reveals itself throughout the story. The story takes a strange turn in the weirdest places and it goes on....(I hope)._**

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**A Taste of Moonlight**

_**Part One- You're Not Cordy**_

Angel's face scrunched up in shock and pain as he looked up at a vary pregnant Cordy. "How... who..." he stuttered. The hurt lay like an open book in his eyes.

Connor walked up to stand beside Cordy, letting a sly grin cross his face, "It was me... _father_. I **will** be a better father than you ever were... I'll never let anyone hurt them."

An evil sneer crept across Cordy's face, "Yes... Connor is my sweet baby's father. How fast it grows. You'll never get near me, Angel, so stop thinking about it."

The look in Angel's eyes became betrayed as two words hit home. "My Sweet was an unusual phrase for an evil master. You've been playing us for fools."

Her sneer turned into a smile and broadened.

It was Fred who spoke next. "What happened to you? Why are you doing this?" Her voice still rung with the slight Texan accent.

Cordy turned her gaze towards Fred and laughed. The laughter seemed to echo and a gasp escaped Fred's mouth as Cordy's eyes glazed over in white. "You'll never live to find out."

She started speaking softly, the feel of magic filled the room. Flecks of fire started to form in her outstretched hands. As they increased in size, they swirled together, forming a large orb of flames between her hands.

"Don't worry Angel," she laughed, "Your son will live to protect his family."

In the blink of an eye, her face became serious. Everything was replaced by a burning rage that matched the licking flames between her hands. "Goodbye Angel."

She pulled her arms closer to her and then pushed out with what seemed to be a large amount of force. None of the others could move as the air thickened with the power of the magic. The orb exploded above them, releasing the flames.

As if they had a mind of their own, the flames started to encircle the group while Cordy laughed. The laugh seemed cold and dead, it didn't sound like her own glorious, lively one.

Connor looked around him in shock as the fire avoided him, but then Fred let out a scream that was cut short as the fire engulfed them.

The room was silent but it was thick, thick enough to choke on, from the fire spell.

Suddenly, the fire rose above them and started to swirl back into an orb. Angel looked at himself and the others in amazement. None of them were dead... well, as dead as they could be. They didn't even have any burn marks.

Cordy's eyes narrowed in suspicion and confusion, "What did you do?"

Lorne looked at her, "Not a thing, baby doll."

A voice came from the door, rich with an Irish accent, "It was me." All eyes turned to the hotel entrance. Standing there, was a girl.

She looked about 5'8 and to be about Connor's age. Her skin was tanned and her eyes a dull green. The hair was a plain, light orange and her clothes were the only unique thing about her. Her pants were tight, blood red jeans, with bare feet, while her shirt was pitch black and shimmering.

The shirt was sleeveless with a low v-neck and it ended an inch above her bellybutton. Her hair had no shine or even any highlights but it did have a nice wave to it. She may have looked dull but she was still pretty.

Cordy's eyes widened in shock as her mouth opened, "You have very powerful glamour if you can hide your true self from me. How did you control my spell?"

The girl gave a half smile and raised her left hand up towards the flames. The orb had finally reformed and shot towards her.

Angel started to run towards her but Cordy stopped him with another spell. He hit an invisible wall that tinted red when he made contact.

Angel pounded it with his fists, "Alex! Get away from there! You'll get burned alive!"

Everyone looked at him in confusion. That is, all except Lorne.

Cordy finally realized who the girl was, as the fire absorbed into her hand. A grin spread across her's face, "The Hand of Fire... so that's how you ruined my spell. There is only one fey who has the power to conceal themselves from me and has the hand of fire. So, _Princess_, you've returned. How **was** your trip to see your friend?"

Alex, as Angel had revealed, looked at Cordy with a blank face, "It was cut short before I even arrived... but you would know all about that, wouldn't you? I believe it was **your** walking mountain that tried to kill me in order to stop my arrival."

Cordy's grin disappeared, "He said you were dead... should have done it myself."

"But my life would have cost you yours. My father left me a very special gift. It will kill anyone who physically kills me... but you already knew that. Father made sure of it and thanks to him, noone has dared challenge me to a duel. Why else would you send someone as dumb as a rock to do your dirty work."

Cordy looked like she was about to explode. Alex turned away from her and towards the others, "You guys okay?"

Gunn was the one who answered, "Yeah... uh, thanks. **What** are you?"

Alex smiled sweetly, "Tell you later... well, someone will."

"You little bitch! How dare you ignore me!" It was Cordy again.

Cordy raised her hands up to reveal a glowing dagger and she held her palms up with it resting lightly on top. Her whispers started to carry as an unnatural wind started to pick up.

It continued to speed up and strengthen until it was similar to a small tornado. The wind sent everyone flying into the air and hitting things. The only ones who remained standing were Cordy, Connor and Alex.

Alex started to walk towards Cordy, determination in her eyes, and a small ball of fire forming at her side within her left hand.

Connor charged towards her with the same look of determination. "I won't let you hurt Cordy!" he yelled over the howling wind.

Before she had a chance to respond, his fist went flying into her face. Alex was sent sprawling backwards only a few feet. He had surprised her and she had lost her concentration because of it. She stood up and all her well placed glamour was gone.

Connor looked on in amazement as her appearance changed before his eyes. Her skin began to glow like moonlight, her hair went ember in a wave like the ocean's, and most amazing, was her eyes.

They were no longer the dull green but a dazzling emerald with vibrant yellow and silver. Her hair flew around her face like a wild tiger attacking its prey. Alex glared at him through tri-coloured eyes. Only cats have eyes like that, in the _'normal'_ world.

"Why the hell would I hurt my own cousin!" she screamed back.

Connor looked at her in that cute, confused way, so Alex decided that it was best to take advantage of his confusion.

She grabbed a hold of the front of his shirt and threw him across the room. He landed on the couch and it collapsed underneath him. Alex looked at him sadly, replaced the fire in her left hand and turned around.

A wall of water slammed into her, sending her to her knees.

She slowly stood up, drenched and dripping. Anyone who knew about sidhe magic would know that she had difficulties creating fire when she was covered in water.

She walked towards Cordy, standing tall, proud and defiant. You could see the look in her eyes. It was the look of a predator.

Cordy's face changed and she looked scared. "Little cuz... it's me... Cordy. Can't you see?"

For a moment, Alex stood in front of her calmly and then, in the blink of an eye, her fist connected with Cordy's face, "You're not my cousin."

Cordy was on the ground as Alex walked over to her. She was only two steps away when Cordy was suddenly standing before her. Alex tried to jump back but it was too late.

Cordy's hand squizzed around her neck like a vise, "Remember my hand of power, Princess? I can just use magic to kill you."

A look of pure terror crossed Alex's face as she started to struggle.

"Cordy! What are you doing!" Connor yelled from the couch.

Their hair started to fly around wildly but the wind was gone. Cordy's eyes never left Alex's face, "We must protect our child, Connor. We're special."

Alex squeezed her eyes shut as tears slowly flowed down her face. Her hands frantically tried to tare Cordy's from her neck. As she did this, Cordy's hand started to glow a deep purple while her grin widened.

Alex's attempts became weaker and weaker, until she stopped struggling all together.

Cordy laughed but it was cut short when a beam of light came from out of nowhere and hit her arm. The two were sent flying in opposite directions.

Alex lay on her back as her breathing slowed. Cordy had been sent to the opposite side, but what stood up was no longer Cordy.

A different woman stood in front of them. She was definitely a sidhe, with her white and silvery grey hair, like spider webs. Her skin was a pale, dull white and her eyes were a dull grey, filmed over like blind eyes of a dead fish.

She wore black armour, like she always did. She still looked pregnant though. Where it had hit, the light remained.

"Cordy?" Lorne asked as he looked into the mix of purple, pink and blue light.

The real Cordy floated inside the light as she glared at the woman who had stolen her form, "I will not let you kill any of my friends. The Powers have finally granted me the permission to stop you from killing my cousin. Your power is pure evil and I will never let you hurt any of them while I can you."

The woman was encased in a glow of light. It imploded into itself and both the light and the women were gone.

Cordy turned to Connor, who was now sitting on the floor in shock. "I am truly sorry Connor. I never wanted any of you to be hurt. I love you like a son Connor.... like I love Angel as your father. That fake.... even though she has** some** good fashion sense... is evil and you must stop her from killing anyone. I only stopped her for now but she'll be back. Love you guys. Take care of Alex for me, she's your last hope."

With that, she moved towards Connor and touched his forehead. A glow seemed to go from her to him. She did the same with Alex and then she disappeared in a blinding light.

Everyone was stunned for a few seconds, then Angel ran over to Alex's body.

She was shaking uncontrollably as he held her in his arms. Wes walked over to them, "She's going into shock. We need to get her dry and warm, or she may die. Fred, go upstairs and get a room ready, Angel will follow you up there. Gunn, you and I shall make sure nothing more can happen down here. Lorne, help Fred."

None of them argued, and they started to walk off. Connor stood up, a look of hurt and anger mixed on his face, "What about me?"

They all stopped, turned around and looked at him. Wes opened his mouth but no words came out. It was Fred who answered him, "Well...."

She looked at him, then at Alex and back to him, "They may be baggy but your clothes would fit her the best. Could you find some clothes that she could wear?"

He only agreed because she had asked instead of demanded and he needed to get away. Connor rushed up the stairs without saying a thing.

The others looked at each other. "Can we go now?" Gunn asked.

Angel looked at him and then he looked at the girl limp in his arms, "Uh, bye." Before anyone could say a word, he was up the stairs.

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	2. 2 Inner Struggles

**DISCLAIMER: The normal ones... Angel show and all characters not mine... Cordy's "true" character is from Laurell K. Hamilton's book... only own my new character, Cordy's cousin.**

**Author's Notes: Thanks to _Imzadi_** **for reviewing. To answer your question, Alex is my character and the hand of fire was from the top of my head. I'm hoping to incorporate Lindsay and the Merry boys into it but I doubt it. We'll just have to wait and see.**

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**A Taste of Moonlight**

_**Part Two- Inner Struggles**_

While the others questions Angel, Lorne was first to take watch over Alex. He stood in the doorway, watching Alex's quiet form.

Angel looked over at him from the other side of the doorway. "You sure you want to take first watch?"

Lorne just stared at him and smiled, "I already know all about this kid. She sings like an angel from heaven. . . don't worry about it, Angel cakes. You got a bunch of ravishing humans out there that want some answers. They need to know."

Angel just nodded and walked out of the room. Shutting the door behind him, he leaned on the wall beside it. He looked up to notice everyone hovering around him with expectant looks on their faces.

With a long moment of silence, Angel stared back at them with a blank expression. "What?"

Connor had moved to sit on the floor with his back resting against the opposite wall, "What is she."

His voice was bitter and more of a demand than an actual question.

Gunn looked from Connor to Angel, "Yeah. Ho could she do all that shit?"

"Gunn is right. That girl can't be human. . . it's an impossibility." Everyone stayed silent as Wes's word sunk in.

"Cordy. . . uh, that _person_, called her 'Princess'," Fred threw in.

All but Connor were looking at him again. He gave a deep sigh before answering, "Her name is Alex and she's Cordy's cousin. Alex is. . . well, all I can think of is Unseelie but she's half human. Actually, she's the Princess of the Unseelie court, from what I was told. Cordy kept most of that stuff really quiet. Wes?"

Wes had his famous contemplating look as he gave himself a few seconds to think, "Well, if I am correct, the Unseelie is one of two courts among the Faye. Their race are called the Sidhe and they are beings of magic as well as extraordinarily powerful. . . both physically and magically."

He paused to let this sink in before continuing, "According to my learning as a watcher, the sidhe have the ability to cloak themselves with what is known as glamour. This is needed because their skin glows and their appearance sets them apart no matter what blood they have been mixed with. The sidhe blood always takes over no matter what the mixed heritage. I don't know much more but I believe that I have some books that will help us."

Gunn gave him a curious look, "So your saying that this Alex kid is a sidhe and that the chick who looked like Cordy was one, too?"

"Exactly. I recall that some can kill by the mere touch of their hands. It's the mark on her neck that reminds me of a passage I read. There have been few survivors but, those that have, are left with a perfect imprint of the sidhe's hand. I believe that Alex is very lucky to be alive."

"**We're **lucky to be alive. She saved us from that fire thing," Gunn added.

From te floor, Connor spoke, "I don't trust her. She's just like that _thing _that pretended to be Cordy. She's evil. . . we need to destroy her."

Angel stood up straight, the anger flashing over his eyes, "Alex **saved** us, Connor. **She** was the one who stopped the fire from killing the rest of us while it left you alone. **She** was the one to reveal that it wasn't Cordy and even though she easily could, she didn't kill us."

"That's it, isn't it. You hate Alex because she revealed that fraud for who she was. That she wasn't Cordy but another sidhe," Gunn held an accusing tone.

"You should think on that one. . . **son**. Alex brought the **real** Cordy back." With that, Angel walked off without looking at any of them.

Gunn turned his gaze to Wes, "Well, I guess we should hit the road."

The two stared to head off, but they were stopped by Fred stepping in front of them, "Go where." It was definitely a demand.

Wes exchanged a look with Gunn, "Well, let's see. While the rest of you were up here, Angel Investigations received a call from a Ms. Hastings. She has a bit of a demon infestation. Don't worry, though. It shouldn't take more then the two of us. Try researching the sidhe while we are gone."

They walked around her and headed down the stairs. At that moment, Lorne came out of the room and stood between Fred and Connor. "Hey, sweety. While you check the books for something on Alex, I'll talk with some of my contacts about this imposter. Connor. . . you better make sure Alex is alright until I come back or your future will be royally screwed."

Fred and Lorne left the same way as the others before Connor could say a word.

Connor sat on the floor, quietly fuming for a moment. Reluctantly, he stood up with a heavy sigh. Slowly, he entered the room and looked around.

In the middle of the room on the far wall, there was a queen sized bed. There was a table with a lamp on it on either side of the bed. Alex lay in the middle of the bed, wearing one of Connor's longer, button up shirts.

Connor couldn't tell what else she was wearing due to the covers being wrapped around her. He couldn't help but notice how good the green looked on her.

A black, leather couch was in one corner of the room, while a chair sat beside the bed.

Just to prove that he didn't blame this girl for '_Cordy's_' disappearance, Connor stubbornly walked over and st in the chair.

Crossing his arms over his chest, he put his feet up onto the side table. Connor was not happy about the entire situation and it showed.

After a while, Connor started to mutter to himself, "I can't believe Dad's mad at me over her. I don't hate this. . . this thing, for taking Cordy away. I don't."

Connor was almost pouting.

He jumped when he heard Alex suddenly moan painfully.

Ever so slowly, he leaned over until he was at the very edge of the bed. Alex's face clearly showed the pain she was in and Connor suddenly became concerned.

He started to reach for her, as if drawn by some unseen force, but he stopped himself. "No. I won't do anything for this _girl_."

With this, Connor stood up and walked to the opposite corner of the room. He was waging a war within himself, between his anger and his natural instinct to help people.

He crossed his arms over his chest and started pacing. The inner turmoil was plain on his face.

His pacing went on as Alex's pain continued. With a final groan of frustration, Connor rushed back to the side of the bed.

He had no idea what to do which, in turn, made him angry, "Wake up."

Alex's skin began to glow as if the moon was trapped with in her body.

Confusion swam across Connor's face as her body began to thrash violently. He reached his had out and clutched hers as it flung into the air.

In the blink of an eye, both were engulfed in the glow of Alex's skin. The next moment, the glow was gone and Connor collapsed onto the chair as well as the edge of the bed.

Even though they were both unconscious, they clutched each other's hand as if their very lives depended on it. However, the glow that once engulfed their bodies was now entwined with there hands.

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Please review!**


	3. A Look Within

**DISCLAIMER: The normal ones... Angel show and all characters not mine... Cordy's "true" character is from Laurell K. Hamilton's book plus a few more... only own my new character, Cordy's cousin.**

**Author's Notes: Thanks to _Imzadi_** **and _Paige Woodland_ for reviewing. To _Imzadi_, I don't recall who Gavin was. Could you remind me? Unless you meant Galen.**

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**A Taste of Moonlight**

_**Part Three- A Look Within**_

Alex knew she was dreaming, but she didn't care. She just wanted to die. She had lost her hope, the lives of the two people she loved the most.

As Alex floated through the blackness of her mind, she remembered.

_Alex's best friend took his final breath in her arms._

_His fire red hair, butchered short and covered with blood. His still warm, muscular body would never move again._

_Silent tears fell down her face and into his hair. Her blood covered hands shook uncontrollably._

_Stuck in his stomach was a knife. . . her knife. "I'm sorry," she whispered into his ear._

Alex couldn't stop a tear from falling down her face, "Brandon. . ." She shut her eyes and smiled sadly.

"Your death wasn't for nothing. . . I was able to save them." Another memory surfaced.

_Alex was on the phone with Cordy. "Why do I have to be careful? Was it one of your visions?"_

_Cordy was silent on the other end of the phone. _

"_Cordy?"_

_There was a deep sigh, "Just be careful, Alex."_

_Alex was getting worried, "Cordy. . . has anything happened?"_

"_Everything is fine, for now. I want you to promise to visit in two months," Cordy sounded desperate._

"_Alright, but you need to give me something about your vision."_

"_There will come a time when Angel will need you. You will be the only survivor of a horrible event in order to help him. I mean it, Alex. . . be careful and trust noone."_

That was the night that Cordy disappeared. Two days later, she was attacked.

She was the only one who lived and that was when Cordy's vision made sense to her.

Alex just floated as the cold, darkness of death engulfed her. Crossing her ankles and hugging her knees to her chest, Alex let the tears fall down her face.

With those memories, came the pain. She could deal with any kind of pain, except this one.

"If only I had killed her when I had the chance. Then you all would be alive." She shut her eyes.

"Kill who?"

Alex's head shot up, eyes wide in surprise. There, floating infront of her, was a boy about her age.

He was tall, thin and slightly muscular. With medium length, brown hair, he wore baggy jeans with a black and green striped shirt, but it was mostly green.

His intense, blue eyes bore through her as if they could read her very soul. It was the one they called Connor.

He studied Alex's face and repeated himself, "**Kill** who?"

"What. . . what are you doing? You can't be here, it's impossible." Alex tried to make sense of him being in her head.

"Answer me." Connor stepped towards her.

Alex followed this with uncurling herself and moving back. "You're not real. You're just an allusion."

Before Alex could react, Connor surged forwards and grabbed her upper arms, pinning them to his chest. This action caused Alex's body to slam into Connor's, with only her hands on his chest separating them.

She let out a small gasp of pain. Alex looked up into his face in shock. He wasn't supposed to be able to hurt her. "You're real!"

Connor frowned, "Of course I'm real."

"You don't get it, do you?"

"Get what?"

"You're in my mind. None of this is real. . . except us."

Connor's gaze moved from Alex's eyes tp rest on her neck, "That's why there's no mark here."

Alex frowned, "What mark?"

"A black hand print."

The realization hit Alex and hit her hard. The hand around her throat, slowly taking her life using magic.

Alex knew who it was. The one sidhe who was pure evil, Siobhan.

A sharp pain surged through Alex's body and she collapsed in Connor's arms. The hand print was back and glowing pure black.

"Oh god," Alex cringed in pain.

Connor fell to his knees, cradling Alex in his arms, "What's happening?"

"What do you think. . . I'm dying."

He couldn't comprehend this. She had been fine a second ago. "How?"

Alex gave a pain filled laugh, "Well, let's see. If I remember correctly. . . you punched me and sent me flying; I had a crazed sidhe use magic to choke the life out of me; and, oh, I know! The slow stopping of my heart. Yep, I believe that about does it."

Connor gave her a strange look, "Awfully, sarcastic, aren't you."

"Wouldn't want it any other way. Now, how about you let me die in peace. Okay?" Another wave of pain took her and she inhaled sharply through clenched teeth.

"No, I won't let you die."

"Why. . . not?" Alex's breathing was slowing and each breath was harder to take.

Connor frowned, "I don't know. I just can't. Besides, Angel still needs you."

Alex saw the determination in Connor and couldn't help but smile. She concentrated with all her might and her breathing became more controlled and the mark slowly disappeared. "You're more like your father then you'll ever know."

"Grear. Just what I want. . ." Suddenly, Connor was gone and Alex was alone again.

"Connor?" Her voice seemed to echo.

"Great. You talk me into fighting for my life and then you just go _poof_."

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Please review!**


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